Ballad of Narnia
by WingedFlight
Summary: As the Narnians first enter the How, Trufflehunter recites the Tale of the Stone Table to Caspian. One-shot


**A/N: **So I've had the idea of doing a story about Trufflehunter for a long time, especially since we don't see so much of him later on in the movie PC. I was also wondering how exactly the Narnians would think of the story of LWW, so I decided that, based on the line by Trufflehunter that says something to the effect of "men and dwarves forget, but we beasts remember", I would have Trufflehunter recount the tale of the Stone Table to Caspian when they first come to the How.

So I started writing, and immediately hit a snag in trying to retell LWW while making it original, and not _just _a retelling. And then I thought of doing the tale as a ballad. So many wikipedia searchings later, I had the format of a ballad, and then I changed it slightly to make it different (because obviously a Narnian Ballad would be different that one that we know) and wrote it!

It was actually a lot more fun than I thought to write my Narnian Ballad, and I think I'll have to do it again sometime! But for now... I'll just let you read this.

* * *

Caspian gazed in wonder around the cavern he stood in, while the Narnian soldiers hurried around him. He reached out slowly and touched his hand to the carvings on the wall.

"What are these?" he asked in wonder, turning to Doctor Cornelius.

The tutor traced one of the pictures reverently with his finger. "The Narnians carved them here when the mound was first built," he explained softly. "They tell the story of the Stone Table."

Nakabrik looked sharply to the professor. "I still don't like how much you human know about us," he grumbled.

"I thought you didn't believe in the old tales, Nikabrik," Trufflehunter commented.

Caspian hid a smile as Nikabrik stomped away. "I don't believe you ever told me the tale of the Stone Table," Caspian told Doctor Cornelius. "Or not the full story, at any rate."

"I do not know the entire tale," the doctor replied sadly. "Much knowledge from that age seems to have been lost."

Trufflehunter chuckled. "Men and dwarves may not remember, but we beasts do," he said. "Shall I tell you the story of the Stone Table and the kings and queens of old?"

"Oh please do," Caspian said excitedly.

"Well then," Trufflehunter began, pausing before a carving of a snow covered forest. "Hear now the story of the Stone Table.

"_A land of ice and snow  
Held captive by an evil queen  
And all who fought are lost  
So now are rebels no more seen  
The dryads hang their heads  
O'er riverbank where once there stood  
A tree of noble fruit  
Protecting all in Narnia good  
But deep in Lantern Waste  
There enters child of mirth and grace_

"_Beneath the iron tree  
Where like a sun the candle burns  
The treacherous faun repents  
And there to Aslan he returns  
The spell begins to break  
The witch's hold soon is no more  
The trees begin to stir  
And Aslan walks on Eastern shore  
But lo, the witch rides forth-  
A son of Adam in the north_

"_The boy unknowing stands  
The witch has caught him unaware  
He sits upon her sleigh  
And there she tempts him with her fare  
And when she drives away  
Deception as her hidden goal  
She leaves behind her work  
The son of Adam's tainted soul  
But wait! – in forest glade  
Two more children come to aid_

"_The children four are here  
Dear Lucy – first our land to view  
And Edmund – tainted still  
And Peter bold and Susan true  
The Blessed Beavers lead  
But Edmund traitor leaves their side  
He goes to see the witch  
Expecting treats but finding lies  
But at Stone Table hill  
His siblings learn of Aslan's will_

"_A rescue saves the son  
And Maugrim's death announces change  
The traitor's blood is hers  
But Aslan will himself exchange  
Upon Stone Table hill  
The witch calls forces of the night  
And Aslan shaved and bound  
Is killed with knife in pale torchlight  
But in the dawn of time  
The force of death starts to unwind_

"_In battle 'gainst the witch  
The forces of the lion tire  
And hope is wearing thin  
It's clouded by the blood and mire  
But Aslan has returned!  
His death for sin has conquered all  
And with a flash of gold  
He heralds spring with witch's fall  
Now Narnia's free once more  
The prophecy fulfilled by four."_

Trufflehunter fell silent, and all gazed in wonder at the Stone Table before them, where once upon a time, Aslan defeated death. Caspian found himself staring at the carving of the Lion standing proud against the rising sun.

_Oh, Aslan, _he thought, _help us now. Help us all in our time of need._

"That isn't the end, though, is it?" Doctor Cornelius asked Trufflehunter. "I thought there was more to it than that."

Trufflehunter sighed. "There is," he admitted. "But it's sad."

"Oh do tell," Caspian requested. "What good is a story without the end?"

Trufflehunter's deep woodsy voice filled the room with visions of the Golden Age.

"_The Golden Age begun  
And peace has spread throughout our land  
Where no more fear shall rule  
A place where all who care may stand  
Queen Lucy valiant rules  
Beside King Edmund fair and just  
Queen Susan gentle love  
And High King Peter whom all trust  
Those fifteen Golden years  
Before the rulers disappear."_

"That wasn't sad," Caspian protested.

Trufflehunter bowed his head. "It was bittersweet," he said, "For fifteen years the kings and queens ruled, before they disappeared from our land. Only Aslan knows where they went, and why."

Caspian couldn't think of anything to say. It _was_ sad to think of Narnia, abandoned by its royalty. "Perhaps the horn called them back," he suggested. "And they will save Narnia again."

"Perhaps," Trufflehunter admitted. "We can only pray to Aslan that someone will answer the horn."

- - -

And far to the east, on an island that once held a castle, four children walked through the ruins.

* * *

So I hope you enjoyed, and as usual, I'm dying to hear your thoughts. SO... REVIEW! It means the world to me!


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